Macedon, 359–336 BCE

Autocracy · Monarchy · Mediterranean · Classical Antiquity era

Macedon under Philip II, a reformed military monarchy that subdued the Greek city-states and prepared the invasion of Persia.

Philip II reorganized the Macedonian army around the sarissa phalanx and combined-arms tactics, funded by control of Thracian mines, and used diplomacy, marriage and force to dominate the Greek world. Victory at Chaeronea in 338 established Macedonian hegemony through the League of Corinth. His assassination in 336 left a war-ready state to his son Alexander.

Open Macedon 359–336 BCE in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • Militarization
  • External Expansion
  • Imperial Decline
  • Regime Stabilization
  • Succession Crisis

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power65
Media Control50
Repression50
Nationalism55
Militarization88
Economic Stress38
External Conflict82
Cult of Personality68
Elite Fragmentation50
Institutions58
Social Polarization45
Corruption & Patrimonialism45
Ideological Mobilization55
External Sovereignty92

Economy & society

GDP per capita$950 (intl-$)
Population1.5M people
Share of world population0.9%
Territory~90k km²
Capital population~30k

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Macedon 359–336 BCE, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Persian Empire, 550–330 BCE – similarity 91/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Regime Stabilization, Succession Crisis
  2. Ghaznavid Empire, 998–1040 CE – similarity 91/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  3. Urartu, 850–800 BCE – similarity 90/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Regime Stabilization
  4. Sasanian Empire, 309–379 CE – similarity 90/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Regime Stabilization
  5. Chola Empire, 985–1070 CE – similarity 90/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Regime Stabilization
  6. Aztec Empire, 1428–1519 CE – similarity 90/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Regime Stabilization
  7. Ethiopia, 1889–1906 – similarity 90/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  8. Elam, 850–800 BCE – similarity 89/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis

What followed

  • Hegemony over Greece through the League of Corinth.
  • The launching point of Alexander’s conquests.